X PERSONALITY AS A WHOLE 271 



Chapter VII. Body, again, in giving rise to mental 

 " sensation," is simply performing that mutation or crea- 

 tive leap, which we have found at every other stage of 

 Evolution. 



In the second place, and what is even more important, 

 the whole is an active mediating factor in whatever action 

 takes place among its elements. We have referred in 

 previous chapters to the metabolic transformative activity 

 of organic wholes in respect of all stimuli or materials 

 which affect them from the outside. The organic whole 

 itself acts creatively, and subtly changes all alien stimuli 

 or material into its own form and structure. It is the 

 very nature of the whole in each particular case to display 

 this inner creative, recreative and transformative activity. 

 We see it not only in the organism but even more con- 

 spicuously in psychic wholes. Thus sensations arise from 

 bodily states or affections. Now in all that happens 

 between the elements in a whole this subtle, creative, 

 holistic factor intervenes. Mind and body as elements in 

 the human Personality influence each other because of 

 their co-presence in this creative whole of Personality. 

 JThe real actor is the Holism in and of which they are 

 but parts and elements. It is this subtle inner meta- 

 boliser or creator which makes all the difference. It 

 is not so much a case of mind and body interacting; 

 rather is it a case of holistic Personality dominating 

 the scene where both of them but humbly serve or 

 subserve. It is the Holism in which they both " live, 

 move and have their being" that is the real explanation 

 of whatever happens or appears to happen between 

 them. It is the Third, which is greater than both of 

 them, that really counts in the action or peraction. To 

 me this, or something like this, is the last word in the 

 relations of mind and body, of the spiritual and the physical. 

 It may sound strange and mystic; but it is the simple fact 

 that the whole, in this case Personality, makes all the 

 difference. Just as Kant at last gave the explanation of 

 mental activity by pointing to the central " synthetic unity 



